Somerville Secondary College

Year 9 Program

Somerville Secondary College is committed to continuously improving the academic outcomes of all our students.  Year 9 is an important stage in their educational journey to engage in their own learning so as to improve their academic success.

We aim to provide opportunities, so all students are continually challenged to perform at their best, are engaged in their work and encouraged to regularly attend classes. Our commitment to you is to provide students with access to programs that suit their interests and are directed towards their future goals.

We endeavour to establish strong personal and respectful relationships with each student in our care. We aim to present enjoyable, relevant and rigorous teaching and learning programs that reflect the developmental stages of our students, as they move through their adolescent years into the later years’ programs.

YEAR 9 Core Subjects

In Year 9 English, students continue to focus on building their skills in the key areas of reading, writing, and speaking and listening. Students develop these important skills in themed units, which includes an exploration of whether or not humanity is worth saving in the opening persuasive language unit, then an examination of people’s attitudes towards the homeless for the first text response task. The other main unit includes all of the second semester, where students will learn about prejudice and persecution through a comparison of texts about the stolen generation and the Holocaust. Students will also improve their reading skills through a Personal Learning Program and develop their literacy skills with the use of online technologies. This unit will include an incursion on the culture and history of First Australians.

In Year 9 students will continue to develop their mathematical skills and knowledge by studying three key content areas: Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry and Statistics and Probability. Students explore Indices, Ratio, Measurement, Probability, Graphs, Trigonometry and Statistics. They apply mathematics in each area and engage in classroom activities that strengthen conceptual understanding and develop logical reasoning.

In Year 9 Advanced Mathematics, students will complete an in-depth study of the three strands of the Mathematics curriculum: Number & Algebra, Measurement & Geometry, and Statistics & Probability. Advanced Mathematics places particular emphasis on developing high order mathematical reasoning skills in students. Students explore Indices, Ratio, Measurement, Probability, Graphs, Trigonometry, and Statistics. They apply Mathematics in each area and engage in classroom activities that strengthen conceptual understanding and develop logical reasoning.

Entrance into Advanced Mathematics is based on student results, as well as teacher recommendations.

This subject exposes students to a broad range of physical disciplines including; invasion, striking and fielding and divided court sports where they will develop their skills and tactics. Students set personal fitness goals, participate in fitness development and testing and experience community based recreational activities. In the theory component of the subject students will cover topics such as harm minimisation and healthy relationships.

In Science, students develop their skills in areas of Biology, Physics and Chemistry. In Chemistry they learn that all matter is made of atoms which are composed of protons, neutrons and electrons and that the atomic structure of elements are used to organise elements in the Periodic Table. They investigate the three types of radiation and explore how it is used in our everyday lives. In Biology, students learn to understand the concept of body in balance by looking closely into the Nervous system and the Endocrine system. For Physics, they learn that electric circuits can be designed for diverse purposes using different components and that the operation of circuits can be explained by the concepts of voltage and current.

What a Year 9 Course could look like

If language continued
4 periods 4 periods 2 periods 2 periods 2 periods 2 periods 2 periods 2 periods
Semester 1 English Maths Science HPE LOTE Hum E1 Art E1 Elective any area
Semester 2 English Maths Science PE Elective LOTE Hum E2 Tech E1 Elective any area
If no language continued
4 periods 4 periods 2 periods 2 periods 2 periods 2 periods 2 periods 2 periods
Semester 1 English Maths Science HPE Hum E1 Art E1 Elective any area Elective any area
Semester 2 English Maths Science PE Elective Tech E1 Hum E2 Elective any area Elective any area

Electives

Student engagement levels are affected by many factors which include sense of ownership of their own learning program; the ability to make their own informed choices within that program; understand that the programs which they have chosen caters to their own individual interests and needs; to appreciate their own program choice will link to their future learning and life goals.

By committing to the course which they have chosen, our Year 9 students at Somerville Secondary College will be delivered a mature vertical structure which will prepare and advance them towards their VCE or VCAL learning outcomes. They will be active in-the-moment learners within the classroom environment; thriving in semester-long courses that offer greater depth and breadth. Year 9 courses are designed to inspire curiosity and exploration with engaging topics

  • All
  • Mathematics
  • English
  • Humanities
  • Science
  • LOTE
  • The Arts
  • The Technologies
  • Health and PE

Water Sports

Featured Learning Area HPE Additional Learning Areas Health and Physical Education Learning Capabilities Developed Personal and Social COURSE DESCRIPTION Do you love the water?  Then ...
Read More →

Track and Field

Featured Learning Area HPE Additional Learning Areas Health and Physical Education Learning Capabilities Developed Personal and Social COURSE DESCRIPTION Do you love Athletics?  Track and ...
Read More →

Stickball

Featured Learning Area HPE Additional Learning Areas Health and Physical Education Learning Capabilities Developed Personal and Social COURSE DESCRIPTION Do you love playing different stick ...
Read More →

Sports Performance and Science

Featured Learning Area HPE Additional Learning Areas Health and Physical Education Learning Capabilities Developed Personal and Social COURSE DESCRIPTION Sports Performance/Science (Nutrition, anatomy, physiology, skill ...
Read More →

Handball

Featured Learning Area HPE Additional Learning Areas Health and Physical Education Learning Capabilities Developed Personal and Social COURSE DESCRIPTION Do you love playing any ball ...
Read More →

Land the Right Job

Featured Learning Area English Additional Learning Areas Careers Learning Capabilities Developed Critical/Creative Thinking COURSE DESCRIPTION Are you looking for a part time job and don’t ...
Read More →

Walt Disney Pictures Presents

Featured Learning Area English Additional Learning Areas Media, Humanities Learning Capabilities Developed Critical/Creative Thinking COURSE DESCRIPTION Remember all of your favourites while growing up? The ...
Read More →

Proud Potterheads

Featured Learning Area English Additional Learning Areas The Arts (Media) Learning Capabilities Developed Critical/Creative Thinking COURSE DESCRIPTION If you have ever wanted to go to ...
Read More →

Courtroom Drama

Featured Learning Area Humanities – Civics & Citizenship Additional Learning Areas English, Legal Studies Learning Capabilities Developed Critical/Creative Thinking COURSE DESCRIPTION Are you a fan ...
Read More →